Grinding apparatus



April 18, 1933. KOTOUC 1,904,058

GRINDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 18, 1933. J, KOTOUC GRINDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, l950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lr- J9 April 18, 1933. KOTOUC GRINDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r/yys 1 saw Patented Apr. 18, 1933 PATENT OFFICE JoHN xo'rouc, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA GRINDING APPARATUS Application filed November 11, 1930. s m No. 494,937.

This invention relates to grinding apparatus in general, and has particular reference to such apparatus as comprises a plurality of horizontally adjacent grinding rolls adapted to crush or pulverize material as it passes therebetween. In such apparatus, it is usually necessary in order togrind the material to a fine state to repeatedly pass it through the rolls until the desired fineness is obtained.

It is accordingly, the primary object and purpose of the invention to provide efiicient means for continuously lifting the material to be ground and dropping it between the grinding rolls.

'With this general object in view, I propose to actuate means of the nature above indicated by the same source of power as is used to actuate the grinding rolls, thereby not only utilizing a single source of energy but also causing both the material-lifting means and the grinding rolls to concurrently pass through successive operating cycles.

The above object may be accomplished in various ways. In the present instance, I dis close one form of device in which a two-part scoop rotates with one of the grinding rolls and has its parts actuated by cams to allow them to clear the adjacent grindingroll during their rotation. In an'alternative modification; I disclose a device comprising a rotatable housing which carries scoops for lifting the material and depositing it between the rolls. This modification also embodies means for automatically feeding material to the housing at predetermined intervals dur-' ing its rotation, and means for automatically removing material of the desired fineness from the housing at predetermined intervals. The above purpose andobject of the invention, and the manner in which it may be accomplished practically, will be more clearly understood from thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1; T

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a modified form of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 4, looking at the device from the right side thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a vat or bin 1, which is adapted to receive material to. be ground. lhis bin has a bottom and sides but is open at the top, although it will be understood that it may take the form of a completely closed structure or any desired form. In the present instance, a pair of horizontally adjacent grinding rolls 2 and 3 having shafts 4 and'5, respectively, are mounted above the bin, and are adapted to grind or pulverize material which is passed between them, as will appear more clearly hereinafter. The ends of shaft 7 4 are journaled in bearings 6 and 7, which may be mounted upon opposite sides of bin 1. Likewise, the ends of shaft 5 are journaled in bearings 8 and 9, which may also be supported by the same sides of bin 1. y 7

A pair of inner walls 10 and 11 are formed integral with side 12 and the bottom of bin 1, and extend parallel tov and closely adjacent the sides of rolls 2 and 3. Each of these walls may take the shape shown clearly in Fig. 3, and may be provided with extensions 13 and 14, respectively, which have their ends formed to provide suitable stationary cams 15 and 16, the purpose of which will be more apparent as the description proceeds. In order to form a more rigid assembly, apair of bearings 17 and 18 may be mounted upon walls 10 andv 11 to provide additional supports for shaft 4. The purpose of walls 10 and 11 is primarily .to provide cams 15 and 16, and while such walls are shown in the present instance as being in: tegral with side 12 and the bottom of the bin, it will be clearly understood that. such walls may take the form of separate elements adapted to be inserted within the bin and attached thereto in any suitable manner.

A two-part scoop 19 is mounted for rotation with roll 13, and is adapted to pick up 'material from the bin as it rotates and to 0 tral portion passing around the pin or rod of the particular hinge or otherwise anchored. The central portion of the springs may, if desired, be used as the hinge rods, and thus be made serve a dual purpose. To provide more effective spring action, the central portion of the springs may take the form of a coil if desired. From the disclosure of Fig. 1, it will be apparent that the springs normally urge the parts of the scoop together in the position shown in that figure.

Shaft 4 carries at one end thereof a gear 26, while shaft 5 carries a gear 27, which meshes with gear 26. A drive shaft 28 is provided, and carries a pinion 29 which meshes with gear 27. Drive shaft 28 may have one end ournaled in bearing 30, which may also be mounted upon the wall of the bin. It will be apparent that shaft 28 may be driven by any suitable source of power, such as an electric motor or the like. In order to provide means for catching the material as it comes from the rolls and after it has been repeatedly passed therethrough to obtain the desired fineness, I provide an oblique slotted opening 31 at the lower central part of wall 12 of the bin. A chute 32 having a slightly curved end 33 is adapted to be inserted through the slot to catch the material as it leaves the rolis, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Suitable fastening means, such as screws 34, may be provided to hold thechute firmly while it is being used. As Will be obvious, the material caught in the chute will pass down the same and out of the bin through the slotted opening in the wall thereof. 'Any suitable means for receiving the material may, of course, be provided. I also provide a'hinged door 35 in the lower portion of one of the side walls of the bin for the purpose of facilitating the cleaning out of thebin. This, of course, is also an optional feature,-and if desired, several of such doors may be utilized.

In operation, it willbe understoodthat material to be ground may be fed into the bin in any desired manner. As shaft 28 is driven, it will, of course, drive the rolls through the medium of the gears. Assume that roll 3 rotates in a counterclockwise direction looking atthe device from the side on which the gears are located. Shaft 5 of r0113 will carry the scoop 19 with it. The scoop, during the greater-part of its 5 rotation, Will function to pickup material and drop it between the rolls. The inner surfaces of the sides of the scoop parts are adapted to engage cams 15 and 16, however, and at such time the said parts will be forced outwardly against the action of springs 24 and 25. The cams will cause a gradual outward movement of the parts until sufiicient clearance is obtained so that the parts may complete their rotation without striking roll 2. As the scoop parts leave the lowersurface of their respective cams, the springs will, of course, again force the parts together so that they may again pick up material and lift'is as before. WVhile the parts of the scoop have been shown in the present instance as being hingedly mounted upon shaft 5, it will be obvious that such parts could be arranged to slide along the shaft against the action of springs when actuated by the cams. Any other suitable arrangement for moving the parts outward to obtain the desired clearance is also within the scope ofthe invention.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have disclosed a modification of the invention. In this embodiment, 2. suitable supporting framework 36 is provided. As before, a pair of horizontally adjacent rolls 2 and 3 (hidden from View) have their shafts 4 and 5 suitably journaled in bearings mounted upon opposite sides of the framework. A cylindrical housing 37 encloses the rolls and is adapted to rotate about them. This housing carries on its inner surface a plurality of scoops 38, which are adapted to'lift material and deposit it between the rolls during rotation of the housing. A pair of stationary trunnions 39 and 40 are mounted on opposite sides of the framework and the housing 37 is mounted for rotation thereon. These trunnions may each have anintegral extending shaft 56 rigidly held by suitable clamping means on the sides of the framework. A ring 41 is attached to one side of the housing by means of suitable screws or the like, which also firmly attach a large ring gear 42 to the ring. As before, the grinding rolls carry gears 26 and 27 upon the ends of their shafts, and gear 27 meshes with gear 29 mounted upon the end of drive shaft 28. In the present instance, however, the drive shaft also carries a small pinion 43 upon its end, which pinion is adapted to mesh with ring gear 42. By means of this arrangement, it will be obvious that the drive shaft, in addition to driving the grinding rolls at a certain desired speed, will also drive the rotatable housing at a slower rate of speed. The ratios of the various gears may, of course,takeany desired values to obtain the desired ratio of speeds between the grinding rolls and the housing.

In order to feedmaterial to be ground to the housing automatically, I provide an opening 44 in one side of thehousing, as shown clearly in Fig. 5. A circular wall 45 surrounds trunnion 39 adjacent the same side of the housing and is pressed tightly against the housing by means of a plurality of springs 46. The supporting structure for these springs may comprise a pair of castings 47 mounted upon frame 36, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, and having suitable extending shanks 48 which carry the springs. The lower portion of the spring-supporting structure may comprise a pair of similar brackets 49 formed integrally with the supporting framework. By means of this assembly, wall 45 is held tightly against the side of housing 37 An opening 50, similar to opening 44 in the side of the housing, is provided in the upper central portion of wall 45. It will be apparent that as the housing rotates the two openings are coincided as opening 44 passes opening 50.

A hopper 51 may be provided and supported so that its lower end rests within the opening in wall 45. The purpose of the hopper is, of course, to receive material to be ground and feed it to the housing. {During the time that the aforementioned openings partly or fully coincide, a passage for the material will be obtained so that it may pass fromthehopper into the rotating housing. It will be obvious that the opening in the housing should be sufficiently small to be closed by wall 45 to prevent the escape of any of the material. Since wall 45 is pressed against the side wall of the housing, no material can escape through.

opening 44 in the housing during rotation of the same.

A suitable bin 52 may be supported from the supporting framework in any desired manner, and may be provided at its lower extremity with a suitable hinged door 53 for removing the ground material when desired. To provide means for automatically removing the ground material from the housing and depositing it in the bin, housing 37 may be provided with evenly spaced openings 54 about its cylindrical surface. These openings may be covered with screening 55 of suitable mesh to pass material of the desired fineness. Obviously, since the housing rotates slowly, there will be no tendency for the gravity through the opening in the cylindrical wall of the housing which happens to be at the bottom. The screening prevents material other than that of the desired fineness from escaping from the housing into the bin. In the present instance, I have disclosed four such screened openings, but it will be understood that as many of such openings as may be desired can be utilized. The material which is too coarse to pass through the screens will, of course, be picked up and ground successively until it has reached the desired fineness, when it will pass through the screens into the bin.

From the above description and the accompanying disclosure, it will be apparent that material therein to escape except that due to my invention provides efficient means for continuously. picking up the material to be ground and depositing it between thegrinding rolls,..such means being driven by the same source *of power as drivesthe rolls. It will also be apparent that the material-lifting means passes through successiveoperating cycles at the same time that the grinding rolls are passing through their operating cycles. In other words, the grinding rolls and the material-lifting mechanism may be properly timed in their operation so that the proper amount of material is always maintained in the desired position between the rolls and passed therethrough. In this manner, the material may be ground to the desired fineness in a minimum amount of time, and no energy is wasted in lifting too much material to be ground at the particular instant by the rolls. The device may, of course, be used to grind any desired material. Various modifications and changes in the structural details of the device may, of course, be made and are comtemplated by my invention. Only such limitations as are imposed by the prior art and indicated by the appended claims are to be imposed upon the invention.

I claim:

1. In a grinding device, a plurality of adjacently disposed movable elements each comprising a grinding roll, a scoop comprising halved parts mounted on one of said elements on opposite sides of the grinding roll thereof for lifting material to be ground and dropping it between said rolls, and means disposed in the path of a portion of said halved parts for moving said parts outward to permit complete rotation of said scoop with the interposed roll.

2. In a grinding device, a plurality of adjacently disposed rotatable grinding rolls each having a shaft, a scoop comprising halved parts each having an arm attached to the shaft of one of said rolls, said scoop being mounted to lift material to be ground and to deposit it between said rolls, and a pair of cams each mounted to engage one of said arms to move said parts outward to permit coplnplete rotation of said scoop with said one ro 3. In a grinding device, a plurality of adjacently disposed rotatable grinding rolls each having a shaft, a scoop comprising halved parts each having a hinged arm attached to the shaft of one of said rolls, said scoop being mounted to lift material to be ground and to deposit it between said rolls, and a pair of cams each mounted to engage one of said arms to move said parts outward to permit complete rotation of said scoop with said one roll.

4. In a grinding device, a plurality of adjacently disposed rotatable grinding rolls tached to the shaft of one of said rolls, said scoop being mounted to lift material to be ground and to deposit it between said rolls, a pair of cams each mounted to engage one of said arms to move said parts outward to permit complete rotation of said scoop With said one roll, and means for normally urging said parts inward.

JOHN KOTOUC. 

